Definition of the target group

According to the Primary and Secondary School Education Act, pupils with special educational needs include:

• gifted pupils 
• pupils with disabilities, including: 
  • pupils with developmental disabilities 
  • pupils with learning disabilities, behavioural problems and emotional problems 
  • pupils with disabilities caused by educational, social, economic, cultural and linguistic factors.

Gifted Pupils

The Ordinance on the Education of Gifted Children and Pupils defines a gifted pupil as one who has been identified as having highly above-average general intellectual abilities and/or specific abilities, a high level of creativity and motivation, and consistently accomplishing significantly above-average achievements and/or work in one or more areas: language and communication, mathematics, natural sciences, technology and IT, social and humanistic area, arts and physical and health areas.

The school identifies, monitors and encourages pupils who excel in knowledge and abilities and organises additional work for them according to their preferences, abilities and interests, and the programme for gifted pupils and the method of identifying, educating, monitoring and encouraging gifted pupils is prescribed by the minister.

Pupils with disabilities 

Pupils with disabilities are those whose abilities, in interaction with the environment, limit their full, effective, and equal participation in the educational process (Primary and Secondary School Education Act, Article 65; Ordinance on Primary and Secondary Education of Pupils with Developmental Difficulties). Difficulties may be physical, mental, intellectual, sensory, or a combination of multiple types of difficulties

Pupils with difficulties have the right to an appropriate education programme and suitable forms of support, which are determined by an expert committee. Education may be carried out in mainstream schools with full or partial integration, individualized and special education programmes, and, if necessary, in special institutions. The Minister prescribes the types of difficulties on the basis of which a pupil exercises the right to appropriate education programmes and forms of support, as well as special curricula for pupils with developmental difficulties. For each individual pupil, the type of difficulty, the appropriate education programme, and the form of support are determined by the school’s expert committee or the competent administrative body of the county or city office.

The Minister prescribes the types of disabilities on the basis of which a pupil exercises the right to appropriate educational programmes and forms of assistance, as well as special curricula and programmes for pupils with developmental disabilities. For each individual pupil, the type of disability, appropriate educational programme and form of assistance are determined by the school's expert committee, or the competent administrative body of the county or city office.

Special support measures

Gifted Pupils

In order to encourage the development of gifted children and pupils, according to the Ordinance on the Education of Gifted Children and Pupils (OG 71/25), the educational institution may provide a gifted child/pupil during the educational process with:

a) forms of educational support as part of regular educational work/teaching:

• work according to an individualised curriculum
• individual work
• work in an educational group
• work with a mentor
• elective and/or optional subjects

b) forms of educational support outside regular educational work/teaching:

• extracurricular and out-of-school activities
• extracurricular programmes of excellence (such as seminars, summer and winter schools, camps for gifted pupils, pupil groups, online learning at the local, regional, national and international levels in cooperation between the school and scientific research institutions, regional scientific centres, centres of excellence, economic entities, prominent experts in a particular field and various associations)
• participation in national and international competitions and fairs
• working with a mentor outside the educational institution

c) other forms of educational support:

• early enrolment in a primary school programme
• acceleration or completion of a grade in a shorter period than prescribed
• completion of a certain level of education in a shorter period than prescribed
• cooperation with experts in the child's/pupil's area of ​​interest
• access to sources of specific knowledge
• programmes on choosing a profession and career, etc.

Gifted pupils may complete school in a shorter time than prescribed. During one school year, a pupil can complete two grades, and the conditions and procedure under which a pupil can complete school in a shorter time are prescribed by the Minister.

Pupils with disabilities 

According to the Primary and Secondary School Education Act and the  Ordinance on Primary and Secondary Education of Pupils with Developmental Difficulties, children with disabilities are included in regular classes and attend classes according to the regular programme, with the application of individualised procedures and content adjustments, depending on the type and level of the disability. The Minister prescribes the types of disabilities on the basis of which a pupil exercises the right to appropriate educational programmes and forms of assistance, as well as special curricula and programmes for pupils with developmental disabilities. For each individual pupil, the type of disability, appropriate educational programme and form of assistance are determined by the school's expert committee, or the competent administrative body of the county or city office.

According to state pedagogical standards, children with mild disabilities (visual impairment, hearing impairment, impaired voice-speech communication, behavioural disorders and neurotic disorders, partial motor impairments and mild mental retardation), are included in regular educational groups. 

According to the Ordinance on Primary and Secondary Education of Pupils with Developmental Difficulties, the types of difficulties of pupils with developmental disabilities are determined, based on which pupils exercise the right to appropriate educational programmes and appropriate forms of educational assistance, which are:

• regular programme with individualised procedures 
• regular programme with content adaptation and individualised procedures 
• special programme with individualised procedures and
• special programmes for acquiring competences in activities of everyday life and work with individualised procedures.

Individualised or special curriculum in regular primary schools and departments is implemented with the participation of teachers with appropriate qualifications to work with these pupils, with an extended professional procedure or educational-rehabilitation procedure, and with their parents/guardians, advisory work.

Based on the identified needs of pupils, when determining an appropriate educational programme, the Expert Committee of the Office makes a proposal for pedagogical-didactic adaptation required by the pupil, which includes:

• adapted IT equipment 
• specific didactic tools and aids 
• textbooks adapted to the special educational needs of pupils (in language, script and media) 
• electroacoustic equipment 
• adapted forms of communication, etc.

Professional support in the education of pupils is provided by:

• teachers/educators trained and qualified to work with pupils with developmental disabilities 
• teachers/educators trained and qualified to work with pupils with developmental disabilities in student dormitories 
• experts of educational and rehabilitation profile (educational rehabilitator, speech therapist, social pedagogue) 
• expert associates employed in the school 
• appointed school doctor 
• experts of the employment service and other experts from social welfare institutions, health institutions and other specialised institutions 
• advisors from agencies responsible for education and training 
• expert teams 
• support centres 
• teaching assistants or professional communication mediators 
• experts from the civil sector with the approval of the competent ministry.

Transportation is provided for pupils with disabilities regardless of the distance from their place of residence to school, and an accompanying person when necessary due to the type and degree of the disability. An accompanying person is provided for pupils with disabilities who attend classes outside the school premises. For all pupils with disabilities who are educated according to a regular or individualised curriculum, additional classes are organised in groups of up to 5 pupils.

Career guidance for pupils with developmental disabilities is a mandatory part of the preparation for enrolment in secondary school, which is carried out during the final year of primary school or, if necessary, during secondary school education, based on the pupil's demonstrated abilities, capabilities and interests.